TOYOTA has issued a car recall on over 20,000 of their Land Cruiser models after concerns vehicles could catch fire in a potentially major risk to owners.

Toyota says the issues stem from the diesel particulate filter (DPF) which could become clogged when driving in heavy vegetation such as grass. If the vegetation is not removed from the exhaust it could catch fire due to the high temperatures experienced during the DPF regeneration process.

A new information label informing owners of how the DPF filter works will also be fitted inside the car.

A statement from Toyota on the recall said: “The DPF system has increased the importance of avoiding the accumulation of vegetation in the underbody when operating the vehicle in off-road and extremely dry vegetation environments.

“When driving in dry vegetation environments, there is the potential for grasses and seeds to accumulate around the underbody and exhaust system of these vehicles.

“If the accumulated vegetation is not removed in accordance with maintenance instructions in the Owner Manual and warning label on the driver's door panel, and operation of the vehicle is continued, the accumulated vegetation may combust due to the high temperature during regeneration.”